Originally Posted by
steveyb
Ok, so Oyster makes valid points and in our small ways various people are trying to make a difference. Demographics and geographics make things different and difficult for different groups. But the overall point is valid.
But for this opportunity I/we have one spot available, now. It costs money to get to Europe for a few days, about $5k each person all up realistically, less if one can skimp a bit here and there. I hear that Air Asia fares are good. No other costs are involved.
But that aside, the rider that gets selected needs to be a good rider. Riders of the quality and better of Dan Mettam, Avalon Biddle, Jake Lewis etc.
So, what about readers here talking to your local junior coordinators/trainers of road and MX riders to see if the best of them are interested?
We must send a good rider with potential, not necessarily an NZ champion, or no one at all. The latter is looking likely at the moment.
The reason why this is now in the market is that the young rider (and family) we had selected has decided for their own reasons, to pull out. This is disappointing for me of course as I really think he is the type of rider they will be looking for. But it would be them doing it and paying for it, not me, so it is fair enough and of course, their call. Like most NZ families, they do not have a money tree growing in the yard and want to focus instead on racing locally for now.
But Rookies Cup are not looking for national champion riders with 10 years experience, those riders often have bad habits that are hard to break. That is why they look for young riders who just exhibit raw talent.
Anyone who saw Hafiq ride here last summer will know what level of raw speed they are looking for. But even though he had never raced 125GP before, he had already developed really bad habits at only 14 years old from racing step-troughs. Habits that he is finding really difficult to break. This is another reason why getting riders onto real race bikes (125GP) and off streetbikes as soon as possible is very important.
Anyway, I am sort of at a loss to understand why I am not innundated with enquiries really. Not committments necessarily, but enquiries at least, because like it not, the Rookies Cup (and maybe the Junior Development Cup for the WSBK side) is the ONLY way that an NZ rider from NZ will make it to the world championships of this sport at the present time. All the talent in the world will get you nowhere beyond NZ in this sport these days. It has moved on along way from the days of chucking a bike in a van with a mate and hitting the GP circus.
If someone takes the punt to set up a race team in Moto3 or even Moto2 (emminently doable with the new bikes I would now think) or someone moves to Europe to follow the Stoner path, then other avenues will open up. But for now, most of the top riders in 125GP this year and also in Moto2 have come through either Rookies Cup or CEV (Campionato de Espanol de Velocidad) and almost all of the 125 riders have been a part of Rookies Cup in the past 3 years or so.
And if you are selected for Rookies Cup you are almost racing in the Word Championships, for free!!! Same circuits, race days, same crowds, same team managers, same sponsors. It is no coincidence that the riders in 125GP have almost all come through Rookies Cup, RedBull Academy or CEV.
Anyway, it is one of my attempts to do something for the future of the sport. I got off my arse (ample though it is) and dragged myself away from the TV (as hard as that was) to negotiate this with Rookies Cup. It isn't the same as having an actual spot in Rookies Cup itself, but sidesteps the first hurdle. Imagine if a rider did get selected, what milage that would get in NZ and how sweet you would feel. It would be a shame for this to go unused, but I won't suggest a rider who is not up to it.
As you were.
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